European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Women s Lack of interest in mammograms new York times bout two months ago. Or Leonard Davis a radiologist in private practice in West los Angeles offered to do mammograms at the Cut rate Price of $50 for women working at a Rockwell International Plant in the san Fernando Valley. Davis a Strong advocate of mammography the diagnostic technique that detected Nancy Reagan s breast cancer reasoned that the Price would be a Strong incentive since the test normally costs $100 to $150. Because it is a routine screening procedure insurance ordinarily does not pay for mammography. Tho company managers invited Davis to the Plant put a notice in the company newspaper and informed women employees Hal they could have the mammograms on company time. All they had to do was make an appointment. Of 6,000 female employees at Rockwell six called for appointments. Davis dismayed cancelled the screening. I could t afford to do it for just six women he said. What happened at Rockwell reflects what is happening nationally experts say. Only 10 to 15 percent of american women who should have had mammograms have Ever had them according to the american cancer society. The society suggests that All women have a Mammogram Between the Ages of 35 and 40, that they have the lest every few years Between Ages 40 and 50, and that they have annual mammograms after age 50. Tho method which uses very Low doses old rays can detect tutors before they can be Tell and when treatment is most Likely to be effective since one in 11 american women will get breast cancer in her lifetime experts say nil women should consider themselves at risk. According to or. Samuel Hellman of memorial Sloan Hellering cancer Center in new York a swedish study showed that a woman with no symptoms has 3 chances in 1.000 of dying of breast cancer within eight years if she has no Mammogram. And 2 chances in 1,000 if she does. Nancy Reagan was a perfect example of the Valun of regular mammograms. Said or. Robert Wittes of he National cancer Institute. Her 7-mm. Tumor was too Small to be Felt and it was discovered so Early that it was still confined to the milk duct where All breast cancers Start. Nancy Reagan s experience does appear to have inspired some women to seek mammograms. The american cancer society said it had a 75 percent increase during the week in Calls from women asking about mammograms. Radiologists said their business was up last week. At Community radiologists in Silver Spring md., for example about 40 women a Day have been calling to schedule mammograms whereas ordinarily Only about 15 a Day Call. Davis said the same sort of increase occurred after belly Ford had breast cancer in 1974 and that after about two months the torrent of Calls died Down to Normal. Experts say they Are at a loss to understand Why More women do not have the Tost although they suggest several possibilities. Even Well educated women who can Well afford a Mammogram put it off Davis said some wealthy patient had told him they simply did not know about the test. He pointed out that breast cancer is a perennial topic in women s magazines and newspapers and said he assumes that women simply do not Road the articles perhaps because they do not want to know about this cancer. Some women said they put off the test because it did not seem particularly urgent and was time consuming and expensive. Dalene Barry a medical writer in Washington said her gynaecologist always suggests that she have a Mammogram when she comes in for Check ups. Barry said she knows full Well that she should have one but she keeps putting it off. I guess i think i m immune to breast cancer she said. When mrs Reagan s breast cancer was selected said Barry it did remind  i said of Damn i really ought to do it this year but i m not going to do it this week because they la be flooded with  Rose Kushner executive director of the breast cancer advisory Center in Kensington md., said having a Mammogram in addition to saving a life might also save the breast. In Light of mrs. Reagan s decision to have her entire breast removed rather than just the tumor Kushner said she was concerned that Many women would now put off mammograms out of fear that even if the test does detect an Early cancer the treatment still will be a Mastectomy. Veneral virus May cause some cancers by Harold m. Schmeck or. New York times infection with papilloma viruses Long thought to cause nothing More serious than common wars is now increasingly viewed As a major venereal threat that carries the risk of several kinds of cancer. More than 50 types of papilloma virus Are known. While Many appear to be harmless a substantial number have been linked to cervical cancers and a few other malignancies. The circumstances suggest strongly that the viruses Are factors in the cause and growth of the cancers. Papilloma virus infection is a very serious venereal disease and people Are just now starting to realize it said or. Ronald s. Ostrow of University of Minnesota an expert on the virus. He said the current estimate is that at least 10 percent of american adults Are infected with papilloma viruses of the genital tract and that there May be a million new cases of infection a year. While cancer is presumed to be an uncommon consequence of such infection there Are nearly 7,000 deaths a year in this country from cervical cancer and about 45,000 cases of what is known As carcinoma in Situ Many of which might develop into cancers if untreated papilloma viruses Are naturally widespread in the human population and most such infections Appeal to have no serious consequences but eventually subside of their own Accord. Whether the infections actually end or just go into a latent inactive state is not known. The viruses Are apparently fairly easy to transmit through sexual Intercourse but simply shaking hands with a person who has warts is not Likely to do it unless there Are minor Breaks in the skin. Condoms offer some but not total Protection from sexual transmission since the virus May be present in areas not covered by a condom experts believe. In addition to cancer of the cervix in which the association with the virus has been most firmly established papilloma virus Hai been found in cancers of the Vulva my Vagina and in cancers of the Penis. In at least one Case reported earlier this month a papilloma virus of a different Type from those usually found in the genital cancers was found in lung cancer tissues of a patient who had earlier developed noncancerous wart like growths of the Larynx. This suggests that even infection with virus types that have not been strongly linked to cancers might sometimes contribute to cancer development. Recently scientists reported finding papilloma virus infections in some anal cancers raising the Strong possibility that infections May have been transmitted during anal Intercourse. The report concluded. Homosexual behaviour in men is a risk Factor Lor anal  up to 50 percent of the male partners of women with abnormal cervical cell growths possible precursors to cancer have papilloma virus infections Ostrow and or. Anthony j. Faras of University of Minnesota reported in an article to be published soon in cancer and metastasis reviews. Underscoring the new attention doctors Are giving the virus Are three reports this month alone in the new England journal of Medicine citing new evidence concerning the infections in patients with cervical and other cancers. Some experts believe genital infections with papilloma viruses Are increasing at an alarming rate today. Others suspect that the cases Are simply being detected at a greater rate in part because of technical advances. Federal scientists at the centers for disease control in Atlanta say reported cases of genital infections with papilloma viruses have become increasingly common. Because the viruses Are widespread and evidence of serious consequences is unusual most experts see no warrant for any general screening for the viruses in people who have no evidence of disease. But the new evidence linking some papilloma viruses with cancer greatly strengthens the argument for regular cervical examinations in women because these tests Are often the first evidence of the virus infection for Many years abnormal cell growths in the cervix found by the Papanicolaou smear have been an important Early warning sign helping to reduce the number of cases of cervical cancer. Breast self examination before Mirror inspect breasts with Arm Down and then raise arms. Look for any changes in contour swelling dimpling of skin or changes in nipples. Then rest Palms on hips and press Down firmly of ilex Chest Muscles. Left and right breasts will not match exactly Lew women s breasts do. In the Shower with Finger Fiat move Gentry Over every part of each breast. Use right hand to examine left breast the left hand for right breast. Check Lor any Lump hard knot or thickening. Lying Down with a Pillow or folded Towel under right shoulder place right hand behind head his distributes breast tissue More evenly on the Chest with left hand and fingers Flat press gently in Small circular motions around the breast a Ridge of firm tissue in the lower curve of each breast is Normal. Move slowly toward nipple while circling to examine every part of the breast. Repeat procedure on the my breast with a Pillow under left shoulder and left hand behind the head. Firmly squeeze the nipple of each breast gently Between thumb and Index Finger. Any discharge dear or bloody should be reported to your doctor immediately. Cong titty in pc sow tuesday november 3, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17